Is Natural Balance Sweet Potato & Salmon Recipe a good dog food?
We score it 43/100 (Poor). The main reasons are set out in "Why you might not" below, and every step of the calculation is shown under "How we calculated this score".
Why this score?
The product scored 43 out of 100. Ingredients without printed percentages pulled the score down by -10.6 points, while the carbohydrate content reduced it by a further -6.7. The overall quality of the ingredient list added +2.1 points, but lower-quality ingredients deducted -1.
Only part of the analytical constituents are declared, so the nutritional picture is incomplete.
100% of this recipe has no printed percentage. Estimated shares are model estimates, not label facts.
- Recipe43
- Nutritionallow94
- Transparency50
- Safety100
- Evidencelimited50
The Recipe score measures how attractive and transparent the declared ingredient list is. It is not, by itself, proof that the food is nutritionally appropriate for long-term feeding. The Nutritional and Evidence scores measure what we can verify towards that stronger claim.
Why you might choose it
- Single named animal protein: fish.
- Declares energy content, which most labels omit.
- Nutritionally complete: formulated to be fed as the whole diet.
Why you might not
- Around 18% of the recipe is generic or unspecified ingredients.
- 100% of the recipe mass has no printed percentage, so the exact split cannot be verified.
Estimated composition
Typical analysis (as fed)
- Protein
- 5%
- Fat
- 4%
- Fibre
- 1.50%
- Moisture
- 78%
- Omega-3 fatty acids
- 0.15%
- Omega-6 fatty acids
- 0.75%
Energy: 108 kcal/100g
Additives & feeding info
No additives recorded yet.
Storage
Store in a cool, dry place. Any unused portion should be covered and refrigerated. Refrigerate after opening.
Feeding guide
Adult dogs should be fed either once or twice per day. Serve at room temperature. Do Not Microwave. When feeding with other food, reduce portion size to maintain ideal body weight. Adjust to maintain ideal body condition. Transition over 7-10 days (replace 25% of current diet every 2-3 days).
Reviews
Trustpilot: 2.8/5 · 102 reviews
Who is this food for?
Suits
- Labelled by the manufacturer for adult dogs
- Single named protein: fish
- Doesn't list chicken, beef, turkey, lamb, venison, pork, duck as ingredients
Consider something else if:
- Your dog avoids grain: the label lists wheat gluten
These points are derived from declared ingredients and analysis, not a substitute for veterinary advice. If your dog has a diagnosed condition, food choice is a medical nutrition decision: speak to your vet. Use the homepage filter to find foods that fit your dog.
Ingredients (7)
| # | As declared | Matched | Category | Tier | Declared % | Est. % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Loaf texture dogs love | unmatched | - | - | - | 18.2 |
| 2 | serve as a complete and balanced meal or as a topper over kibble This grain free recipe is made with sweet potatoes are an extremely tasty and highly digestible | Sweet Potatoes | carb | good | - | 16.9 |
| 3 | gluten-free source of energy | Wheat Gluten | carb | poor | - | 15.6 |
| 4 | Omega-rich salmon is packed with protein and essential omega-3 fatty acids to help support lean muscle mass | Salmon | meat | good | - | 14.3 |
| 5 | Redfish | Acadian redfish | meat | good | - | 13.0 |
| 6 | whitefish | White Fish | meat | good | - | 11.7 |
| 7 | and fish broth all add extra flavor for a delicious meal your dog will love! Buy in store Find at local retailers Buy online | Cooking broth | other | medium | - | 10.4 |
Brand
- [email protected]
- Phone
- 1 (800) 829-4493
- Address
- Natural Balance Pet Foods, LLC, 19425 Soledad Canyon Road #302, Canyon Country, CA 91351
- Contact page
- www.naturalbalanceinc.com
- Social
Trust and provenance
- Recall history
- No recalls recorded in our database
- Label data last checked
- 2026-09-14
- Scored with
- Model v3 (methodology)
- Product page
- www.naturalbalanceinc.com
Recall history is presentation-only and never affects the score. Dates are when we recorded the data, not when the manufacturer last changed the recipe.
Spotted a mistake in this listing? Report it here and we'll take a look.
Recipe: how the 1-100 score is calculated
Scored with model v3 on 2026-09-26. Each component is the feature value for this product multiplied by the model's published coefficient.
| Component | Input | Coefficient | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base score | - | 30.909 | +30.91 |
| Average ingredient quality | 0.2 | 9.191 | +2.12 |
| Carb share of dry matter | 58.5% | -0.115 | -6.73 |
| Other share of dry matter | 1.1% | -0.375 | -0.39 |
| Unrecognised share of dry matter | 18.4% | -0.027 | -0.49 |
| Recipe graded poor | 15.6% | -0.065 | -1.01 |
| Number of poor ingredients | 1 | -0.876 | -0.88 |
| Largest single poor ingredient | 15.6% | 0.060 | +0.94 |
| Undeclared quantities | 100.0% | -0.106 | -10.56 |
| Low meat (under 10% of dry matter) | yes | -3.158 | -3.16 |
| High carb and low meat | yes | -1.180 | -1.18 |
| Processing multiplier | 1.00 | 33.786 | +33.79 |
| Processing: Wet Pate | yes | -0.672 | -0.67 |
Show all 40 components
| Component | Input | Coefficient | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base score | - | 30.909 | +30.91 |
| Average ingredient quality | 0.2 | 9.191 | +2.12 |
| Meat share of dry matter | 0.0% | 0.096 | +0.00 |
| Carb share of dry matter | 58.5% | -0.115 | -6.73 |
| Oil share of dry matter | 0.0% | -0.092 | +0.00 |
| Vegetable share of dry matter | 0.0% | -0.005 | +0.00 |
| Additive share of dry matter | 0.0% | 0.163 | +0.00 |
| Supplement share of dry matter | 0.0% | -0.012 | +0.00 |
| Other share of dry matter | 1.1% | -0.375 | -0.39 |
| Unrecognised share of dry matter | 18.4% | -0.027 | -0.49 |
| Recipe graded poor | 15.6% | -0.065 | -1.01 |
| Poor-quality meat in recipe | 0.0% | -0.179 | +0.00 |
| Number of poor ingredients | 1 | -0.876 | -0.88 |
| Largest single poor ingredient | 15.6% | 0.060 | +0.94 |
| Undeclared quantities | 100.0% | -0.106 | -10.56 |
| Prints ingredient percentages | no | 0.000 | +0.00 |
| Complete diet | no | 2.294 | +0.00 |
| Frozen or chilled fresh | no | 0.000 | +0.00 |
| High meat (30%+ of dry matter) | no | 0.707 | +0.00 |
| Low meat (under 10% of dry matter) | yes | -3.158 | -3.16 |
| High carb and low meat | yes | -1.180 | -1.18 |
| Meat share × printed percentages | 0.0 | 0.000 | +0.00 |
| Meat share × fresh | 0.0 | 0.000 | +0.00 |
| Fresh × high meat | 0.0 | 11.084 | +0.00 |
| Additive penalty | 0.00 | 0.222 | +0.00 |
| Processing multiplier | 1.00 | 33.786 | +33.79 |
| Processing: Raw | no | -0.054 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Fresh Chilled | no | -2.354 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Fresh Frozen | no | -2.354 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Fresh Refrigerated | no | 0.000 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Fresh Shelf | no | -0.672 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Dry Freeze Dried | no | 6.629 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Dry Air Dried | no | 6.331 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Dry Cold Pressed | no | -6.713 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Dry Baked | no | -6.713 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Dry Extruded | no | -6.713 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Dry Semi Moist | no | -6.174 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Dry Muesli | no | -10.146 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Wet Pate | yes | -0.672 | -0.67 |
| Processing: Wet Chunks | no | -0.672 | +0.00 |
- Processing-type offset
- -0.08
- Subtotal
- 42.6
- Final score
- 43/100
Contributions are rounded to two decimals, so they may not sum exactly to the subtotal. The full coefficient table is published on the methodology page.
Nutritional: declared analysis vs reference ranges
How the declared analysis compares with FEDIAF reference ranges for adult dogs. The label prints as-fed values; we convert to a dry-matter basis before scoring, and the bands are dry-matter ranges. Scores rise to 100 at the band midpoint: the reference is adequacy, not maximisation. Nutrients with a published upper limit taper again above it; fat is policed through calorie density rather than a direct penalty.
Guaranteed-analysis FEDIAF score: crude minimums and maximums are bounds, not typical values; moisture (a maximum) uses the processing median where available; experimental US score.
| Nutrient | As fed (label) | Dry matter (scored) | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protein | 5 | 22.7 (band 18 to 40%) | 82.9 |
| Fat | 4 | 18.2 (band 5.5 to 20%) | 100 |
| Fibre | 1.5 | 6.8 (band 0.5 to 5%) | 100 |
| Omega fatty acids (omega-6 and omega-3) | - | - | 100 |
| Energy (kcal/100g) | 108 | 490.9 | 100 |
Omega fatty acids (omega-6 and omega-3): scored as the mean of its declared components (omega-6 100). The FEDIAF minimum for omega-6 is linoleic acid specifically.
Scored over 5 declared nutrients (combined weight 70); undeclared nutrients do not affect the score. Moisture was not declared and was estimated at 78% from the food type.
Low confidence: partial analysis or moisture estimated from the food type.
This measures agreement with published reference ranges, not suitability for an individual dog. For medical conditions, follow veterinary guidance.
Transparency: what the label discloses
How much the manufacturer discloses, measured against the FEDIAF Code of Good Labelling Practice and Regulation 767/2009. Mandatory items dominate the weighting.
| Item | Points |
|---|---|
| Ingredient list on the label (mandatory) | 10/10 |
| Printed percentages on the label (voluntary) - not on file | 0/20 |
| Analytical constituents declared (mandatory) - not on file | 0/15 |
| Additives declared (mandatory) - not on file | 0/10 |
| Energy value declared (voluntary) | 5/5 |
| Complete/complementary designation (mandatory) | 5/5 |
| Feeding guidance given (mandatory) | 10/10 |
| Manufacturer identity and address (mandatory) | 10/10 |
| Country of manufacture stated (voluntary) | 10/10 |
| Batch and date labelling (mandatory) - not on file | 0/5 |
Capped at 60: mandatory items missing (Analytical constituents declared, Additives declared, Batch and date labelling).
Safety: recall history
Recall and safety-notice history, time-decayed. This dimension is shown alongside the score and never feeds the headline number.
No recalls recorded in our database.
Evidence: what the brand claims, and what supports it
The claims made on the pack and product page, checked against the declared label. We record claims as stated; "consistent" means our stored label data supports the claim, "contradicted" means it conflicts with it. Functional claims are recorded but never scored.
50/100 · limited — 2 checkable claims: 1 consistent, 1 contradicted.
Contradicted by the label
- "This grain free recipe is made with sweet potatoes" — the declared label says otherwise on grain-free.
Consistent with the label
- "serve as a complete and balanced meal or as a topper over kibble" — supported by the declared complete and balanced data.
7 further claims on file that we cannot check against the label.
Limited: at least one claim contradicts the declared label, or a recent upheld ASA ruling applies.
| Claim | Type | Check | Substantiation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wholesome sweet potatoes provide a highly digestible source of energy (on page) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Omega-rich salmon helps support lean muscle mass (on page) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Omega-rich salmon is packed with protein and essential omega-3 fatty acids to help support lean muscle mass (on page) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Thoughtfully balanced nutrition using a limited number of ingredients (on page) | Content | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| serve as a complete and balanced meal or as a topper over kibble (on page) | Content | consistent | Manufacturer assertion |
| formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for maintenance (on page) | Nutrient | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| sweet potatoes are an extremely tasty and highly digestible, gluten-free source of energy (on page) | Content | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Protein-packed with salmon, redfish, whitefish, and fish broth for extra delicous flavor (on page) | Content | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| This grain free recipe is made with sweet potatoes (on page) | Free-from | contradicted | Manufacturer assertion |
The full scoring method is published. See the methodology for exactly how the headline score and each dimension are calculated.
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